Temporary Home
by WritelkeUmeanit
Summary: Lorelai visits her old home one last time. She needs to see it before it goes. And while walking through the old, abandoned Inn, she can't help but take a walk down memory lane. Oneshot.


_Young mom on her own,_

_She needs a little help, got nowhere to go_

_She's lookin' for a job, lookin' for a way out_

_'Cause a halfway house will never be a home_

_At night she whispers to her baby girl_

_Someday, we'll find a place here in this world_

_This our temporary home_

_It's not where we belong_

_Windows and rooms, that we're passin' through_

_This is just a stop, on the way to where we're going_

_I'm not afraid because I know, This is our_

_Temporary Home_

_**-Carrie Underwood-**_

_Enjoy!_

**Temporary Home**

Lorelai avoided it for as long as she could.

Her daughter graduated, the summer went by, they traveled through Europe and now it was nearly September. But they said goodbye before leaving. The day Rory graduated, before heading to the party, they stopped at their old home but only stayed for ten minutes. They wondered around the place- what was left of it anyway- and shared some teary smiles and favorite memories. But it was different then; the Inn wasn't getting demolished later that afternoon. But today, on August 30th, the place where Lorelai Gilmore grew up, the place where her daughter took her first shaky steps, the home she loved would soon be torn to bits and pieces.

Maybe it would have stayed up longer; closed or not, Lorelai was naïve enough to think it would be there forever. But then Mia called not a week ago to break the news. She told Lorelai there were people who wanted to buy the grounds. Mia explained that she only said yes because the group interested wanted to build a recreation center. She wouldn't have ever agreed to someone who wanted to build another Inn. To Lorelai's understanding, the recreation center would be one for children and adults with indoor sporting events, as well as outdoor ones. Lorelai wasn't sure of the details; all she really heard was that the Inn, her home, was being replaced with something else, something that wasn't hers.

Lorelai was heart broken, of course, but she understood that Mia needed to sell. Aside from closure, keeping the place, keeping up with the expensive bills, Lorelai knew that wasn't fair. She knew that Mia shouldn't, Mia couldn't, handle that burden forever.

So now, just days after seeing her daughter off to college, Lorelai found herself driving to the Inn. When she first got the news, she promised herself she wouldn't go back; she already said goodbye to her past, but when she woke up this morning, she couldn't fight the urge. She had to see it one last time.

"In and out," Lorelai whispered to herself while making the last turn. She would go in, say goodbye, then get out. Any more than that and she'd fall apart.

Another minute passed and Lorelai was pulling into the parking lot. She left her Jeep in its usual spot, grabbed the keys from the ignition, then blew out a sigh while looking out the car window.

Her once beautiful Inn wasn't so pretty anymore. The grass was dying, with the lawn having been neglected for months. Boards covered the windows and doors. Some burn stains blotched certain walls. Flowers no longer hung around the porch. The pretty curtains were long gone. The place seemed cold, uninviting. Even a little scary.

"It's still home," Lorelai reassured herself while trying not to let its appearance get to her. For as long as shes known the Inn, it never looked foreign, defeated, not until after the fire.

A minute more went by and finally Lorelai worked up the courage to go inside. She climbed the porch stairs then paused at the doorway.

Months back, when she and Rory stopped by, Luke came too, the man pulling loose the board that covered the door so they could squeeze inside. Thankfully, no one had come back to prop the wood back it in's place, and so it was no problem for Lorelai to nudge the board away and walk inside.

Despite the month, Lorelai felt a chill as she walked through the door. She folded her arms across her chest with her keys held tightly in her hand as she wandered inside.

There wasn't much to see upstairs, with most of the rooms nothing but walls of ash and floors of dust and so instead, she walked through the once reception area and to what used to be the kitchen.

The kitchen wasn't too bad. The room was certainly a mess with forgotten bowls and utensils lying around, but other than that, it wasn't horrible.

Lorelai didn't stop her stride, only letting her eyes examine the room while her body walked towards the back door. That too was accessible, thanks to Luke.

Through the kitchen door was the easy way to get too and from the potting shed. They were about 30-35 feet apart. The short distance made getting too and from work easy when Lorelai lived on the grounds. And for 10 years, the Inn was home. It was her first _real _home. It wasn't just walls held together by a roof and floor boards. Unlike the house she was born in, the Inn was her home.

"_20, 30 ,40... 240 dollars," Lorelai finished through a sigh. "This is it little girl- just you, me and 240 dollars," she announced to her baby, the little girl lying in the middle of Lorelai's bed while waving a rattle around. "Oh and your diaper bag, that's coming with us," she added while spreading a small,uneasy smile."_

"_Ma! Mmmma! Mamama!" the one year old babbled before stuffing the rattle into her mouth. _

_The teen mom smiled at her daughter before leaning over to kiss the baby's chubby little cheek. _

"_Ready to go?" she asked after pulling away. "We have to leave while mom's still out shopping. I think she's buying a new dress for some big shin-dig tonight. Just another boring, stuffy, totally unnecessary function that she'll drag dad too," Lorelai described while getting to her feet. "He says he doesn't mind going, but I know he hates most of them; he'd rather be working. Why he likes sitting behind a desk all day doing... whatever it is he does, I'll never know. Something with insurance, I think," she murmured thoughtfully while scooping Rory to her chest. "Not exactly a career choice I'd make, but that's why I don't belong here. And you little missy, I won't let you become one of them. I know you'll miss your fancy nursery and your fancy toys and your fancy baby food, but trust me, this place ain't all its cracked up to be. Should we stay here, you'd learn that fact probably before your next birthday, so we may as well cut to the chase, right?" she asked the girl while meeting Rory's big blue eyes that were looking back at her with wonder and curiousity. Lorelai smiled. "I'll find a place for us, I promise," she whispered before smoothing her fingers through her baby's fine brown hair. _

"_Mmabababa," Rory answered happily while reaching for the necklace that hung around her mom's neck. _

_Lorelai smiled at the baby as her curious fingers touched the charm hanging from the gold chain. "You know Chri- your dad," she corrected. "Your dad, he gave this to me two years ago, on Valentine's day," she explained while looking at the heart-shaped charm. "He doesn't know Im leaving. He probably wouldn't care," Lorelai murmured absentmindedly while Rory tugged at the charm. "I know you don't know who he is; you've only seen him a couple of times, but... well, no, there are no buts. He's a jerk. He's been a total jerk. And he wanted to get married," Lorelai scoffed. "Well, we don't need him," she decided firmly. "We're leaving him behind, so this stays behind too," she decided before yanking the necklace from her neck, then tossing it on the bed. _

_At the sudden loss, Rory's eyes began to water and Lorelai could see the tears coming. _

"_Oh, no, no, it's okay," she assured her daughter while quickly rocking the baby back and forth. "We have to leave everything we don't need behind and we definitely don't need that necklace... I don't even know why I was still wearing it. We haven't been together in over a year. Time to let go," she decided with a firm nod while reaching to the bed for a toy to distract Rory with. _

_After giving the baby a minute to calm down, Lorelai dried Rory's tears, grabbed what they were taking with them, left the note she had written on the dining room table, called goodbye to the empty house, and then she was gone. _

Lorelai blinked away the memory, the old scene having played through her mind as she carefully and slowly walked the short distance to the potting shed. Even after almost 2 decades, she could still remember that day loud and clear. Almost every detail was locked in her brain to be forever apart of who she was.

When Lorelai reached the potting shed, she opened the door with caution, trying to prepare herself for the emotional tsunami that would crash into her the moment her eyes would get reaquianted with the room.

Even though someone else had lived in her home for a short period of time, the place didn't look much different. Rune didn't really make changes. Aside from the fact that Lorelai didn't allow it, she figured he didn't care to defy her. He only stayed there to save up some money and then he was gone, leaving nothing but a bean bag chair in his absense. The chair was thrown out the minute after he left; Lorelai made sure of that.

Lorelai clamped her fingers around the door handle, closed her eyes, took in a deep breath, then swung open the door. She did it quickly, like ripping a band aid off.

She found it to be bittersweet. Trailing her gaze across the room, she couldn't help but feel saddened that in just a short time, there would be nothing but rubble and dirt in its place. But then she closed her eyes and made herself think of the good. She thought back to that first night. The very first time she arrived at the Inn. The first time she met Mia.

_People stared at her. They always did when she was out in public with Rory. And she knew what they thought of her. Some of them probably guessed her to be a slut. Others might have prayed for the poor, innocent baby she so wrongfully brought into this world... it was all crap and Lorelai paid no attention to it while she sat on the bus with Rory sleeping in her car seat next to her. Lorelai kept her arm around her slumbering baby, holding the seat steady while she looked out the window next to her. She followed the scenery outside while thoughts of worry and fear filled her mind. She couldn't help but start to think her leaving was a bad idea. After all, she was a 17 year old jobless, homeless teenager who appeared to be a runaway with no idea about where she was going. And of course, she had a baby. And Lorelai didn't have much of a plan; the only plan was to leave, get as far away from her parents as she possibly could. _

_Lorelai sighed while turning back to Rory. The baby was still fast asleep. _

"_Next stop! The Independence Inn!" the bus driver called. _

"_Excuse me?" Lorelai asked while turning to look at an older man sitting behind her. "Do you know where the last stop is?"_

"_I believe the terminal in Litchfeild," he answered. _

"_Litchfield," Lorelai whispered. She knew that was one town over. She didn't have much time before the bus would end it's route. _

_Lorelai turned back to the window to see the Inn up ahead. She guessed the stop was at the corner. It was just seconds away. And without thinking, Lorelai pressed the button to sound the bell. She panicked. It was late, Rory would get hungry soon, the bus ride would soon be over; she needed someplace to stay for at least the night. She couldn't go anywhere but a hotel; she couldn't go to a friend's place; she couldn't just buy an apartment like that... a hotel was her only option. Though she would have liked to get more than a halfhour away from home, she couldn't travel all night. This was it for now. _

_XOX_

_The small town that the Inn belonged to was deceiving. The Independence Inn was big. Lorelai couldn't help but think about the size as she stood on the porch with her face up looking at the place. _

"_You going in, young lady?"_

_Lorelai looked back down to see a middle aged man holding the door open. _

"_Oh, yeah, thanks," she said while grabbing the handle to Rory's car seat, then heading inside. _

"_Yes, you're all booked, Mrs. Baker... we'll see you next month... goodbye."_

_Lorelai stopped in front of the desk while lowering Rory to the floor. She then straightened the diaper bag on her shoulder, stood with her head high and said,"hello. Do you have any rooms available?" she asked with a smile ._

_The older woman behind the desk smiled in return at the young girl standing before her. "You poor thing, out in the rain," Mia sympathized while her smiled turned to a frown at the girl's wet hair. _

"_Oh, I'm fine," Lorelai waved off while wrapping her arms around her belly. _

_Mia eyed the girl curiously; she couldn't help it; it was the mother in her. "If you don't mind me asking dear, how old are you?"_

"_Why?" Lorelai asked defensively."If you're worried about whether or not I have money, don't; I have money," she said firmly. _

"_You can't be older than 18," Mia guessed while walking around the desk. Her eyes widened a bit when she saw a car seat on the floor. "And you have a baby," she said. "May I?" she asked. _

_Lorelai looked down at her daughter with hesitation clearly written across her face. _

_Mia gave a gentle smile."Don't worry, honey, I won't hurt her," she promised. "I just love babies. They're cute, aren't they?"_

_Lorelai's brows furrowed but she nodded in agreement. _

"_Oh, she's precious," Mia complimented after peaking back the pink blanket that covered the baby. "What's her name?"_

"_Rory."_

"_Rory, what a darling name," Mia cooed while smiling down a the baby. Rory gave a smile while sucking on her pacifier. _

"_Her real name is Lorelai. I named her after me. Wasn't planning on it, but that's demerol for ya," Loerlai explained. _

"_The resemblence is uncanning," Mia said while turning back to Lorelai."She has your eyes."_

"_Thanks... so, um about that room."_

"_Oh, yes, of course!" Mia realized while hurrying back around the desk. "How long will you be staying?"_

"_Oh, um," Lorelai trailed while trying to figure out how long she'd be there."How much a night?"_

"_150," Mia said through a wince. _

_Lorelai's face fell. _

"_But, you're in luck because we're having a special this month. All prices are cut in half," she quickly explained at the look on the poor girl's face. _

"_No, please, don't feel sorry for me," Lorelai said. "I just- I need a job, any job," she begged, though her tone was firm and in control."I'll take anything, really," she stressed. _

"_Well, I could use another maid," Mia offered. _

"_I'll take it!" Lorelai exclaimed without a thought. She quickly realized that she'd have to stay here, stay in this town, at least for a while. Staying one night anywhere would almost wipe out her money supply. She needed to find something here. "I can pay you for toinght and then, um, well... I, um-"_

"_You'll work for your stay," Mia filled in through a smile."And don't even think about paying for tonight; I won't hear of it. You'll take that girl with you up to a room and get a good night's rest and then tomorrow you can start work; do you understand?" Mia asked, like a mother speaking to her child. _

_Lorelai nodded wordlessly. _

"_Alright," Mia said while turning for the key. "Here you go, sweetie. Now hurry on up and change into something dry. And if either of you gets hungry, don't be shy. Just call room service and we'll just add the expenses to your bill," she explained, though she had no intentions of billing the teenager for such things._

"_Thank you," Lorelai whispered. _

"Oh, Mia," Lorelai said through a sigh while coming back from the past. "You've always looked out for us," she murmured while walking further into the room.

Lorelai reached out to the wall, spreading her palm over the rosebud wallpaper. The wallpaper that was hers, hers and Rory's. The wallpaper that made a small, mismatched room, feel like a home.

"_Knock, knock,"_

_Lorelai yelled 'come in!' from where she sat squatted on the floor in front of Rory's stroller. _

"_Going out, dear?"_

"_Yeah. You wanna come? I'm going to Doose's for a few things."_

"_I'd love to but I have better plans," Mia said while grinning from ear to ear. "And you have better plans too so Doose's will have to wait."_

_Lorelai furrowed her brows while standing up with a pacifier in her hand. She absentmindedly handed Rory the binky before asking, "what plans?"_

"_I have something I need to show you."_

"_Oh, did I miss a room?" Lorelai asked worriedly. _

_Mia shook her head. "You never miss a room."_

"_Well, there's a first time for everything."_

"_Yes there is, and I think you're going to love this first."_

_XOX_

_Mia lead Lorelai downstairs, across the lobby, through the kitchen, and out the back door. _

"_Um, Mia, I know I don't get out much, but I know what the yard looks like."_

_Mia smiled while bending to the stroller Lorelai had been wheeling to scoop up Rory. She grabbed the baby's favorite toy from the basket, held Rory to her hip, then signaled for Lorelai to follow. _

"_If you think we're going swimming, think again. That baby your holding hates water," Lorelai warned. _

"_We're not going swimming," Mia called without breaking her stride. "It's spring, dear. Not warm enough to go swimming, is it, honey?" she cooed to the little girl at her side. Rory spread a smile in return before turning the pacifier in her mouth upside down."Silly girl."_

_With peaked curiousity, Lorelai continued to follow until not a moment later, Mia stopped, again. _

"_The potting shed?" Lorelai questioned confusedly. _

_Mia turned to show Lorelai her smile while nodding at the question. _

"_Your better plans involve the potting shed?" _

"_**Your** better plans involve the potting shed," Mia corrected while Rory leaned away from her to pile head on into her mom's chest. _

_Lorelai balanced the baby while wearing even more confusion on her face than before._

_Mia smiled further. "I know you've been looking for an apartment but haven't been able to find a cheap one. Though why you want to leave that wonderful room you're in, I'll never know," she teased through a grin. _

"_Mia-"_

"_No, no, I don't want to hear it," she refused while shaking her head. "I've told you that room is yours for as long as you need it, for as long as you like, but you won't listen."_

"_You're losing money because of me," Lorelai countered softly. _

"_You're the hardest worker I have, Lorelai Gilmore and you're a 17 year old with a baby. That says something. You're strong. Nothing stops you. You've been here for almost two months and I still don't know how you do it. How you work all the time and take care of that girl. You don't do enough for yourself. You hardly let me help you... if you think you're a burden to the Inn, to me, by being in that room, you're wrong," Mia said sternly. _

"_But the money-"_

"_And you're stubborn too," Mia interupted through a sigh. _

"_I love it here, Mia. You've been so great to me and Rory but I can't live here forever. I need to find a place that's ours," she said while looking at the baby in her arms."I want a place that's ours, Mia. I just need a little more time to save money and then I should be able to rent an apartment. One day, I hope to buy us a house, but gotta start somwhere, right?"_

"_Right," Mia agreed while giving Rory a big smile. "That's why I was hoping you wouldn't mind starting here."_

_Lorelai watched with furrowed brows while Mia turned around to the potting shed. The woman braced her fingers around the door handle then peaked over her shoulder to ask, "are you ready?"_

_Lorelai nodded wordlessly and with that, Mia swung the doors open. _

"_Oh my God!" Lorelai gasped through wide eyes. "What happpened to the- where's all the- and the tools, where'd you- when did you- how did you-I- I'm confused," she finished while sighing. _

"_Don't worry about that dear," Mia waved off. "Now I know this isn't much," she started to explain while walking further into the room, "and I'd much rather you be upstairs, in a room with a more stable lock, but I know your independence is important to you. I thought you'd like a little place until you could find something more permanent."_

_Lorelai stepped through the threshold carefully with Rory held to her chest. Her eyes traveled everywhere from the full bed to the white bathtub to the wooden cabinet to the sink covered with flowers and to the pretty rosebud wallpaper. _

"_We can live here?" the Gilmore awed as tears bubbled in her eyes. _

"_For as long as you'd like," Mia confirmed through a big smile. _

_Lorelai turned around and threw her free arm around Mia, trapping Rory between them while hugging the woman that's been a saint since that dark, rainy night she arrived. _

"_Thank you," she whispered as a few tears rolled down her cheek. _

"_If I thought you would have accepted, I would have offered to help with the apartment, but since I knew you wouldn't, I'm thrilled to be giving you this. And if at any time you want to, you're more than welcome to move back inside."_

"_You're too good to me," Lorelai said while wiping the salty tears from her face. _

"_You deserve it, dear," Mia praised while giving the girl a heartfelt smile. _

"_I don't know how to thank you."_

"_Let me watch Rory while you get out for a while. Even if it's just to go grocery shopping."_

_Lorelai rolled her eyes but obligated but giving Rory to Mia's waiting arms."I won't be long."_

"_If you're not more than 2 hours, I'm taking the potting shed back,"Mia warned. _

"_Then I'll be 2 hours and 1 minute!"_

Lorelai couldn't help but laugh at the memory. Mia always did everything she could to make sure that Lorelai had some fun in her life, even though she was a young mom with a baby.

The day she moved into the potting shed, it changed her life even more so than the day she left home. Moving out of a fancy room with a maid and food service and into a place of her own- even though it wasn't a palace- it meant freedom. It meant responsibilty. It meant proving to herself and to everyone else that she could do it, she could live on her own and take care of her baby on her own. And that was something she needed to prove.

Lorelai never meant to stay in the potting shed for so many years. She had at first planned on buying a real apartment away from the Inn, but after months of living there and having convinced Mia to accept some rent every month, Lorelai got comfortable there. Being so close to work was easy. She loved the pretty view, having the lake right in their backyard. She liked being able to sit outside at night with Rory and listen to music from all the parties and weddings. She liked that the place was homey; it felt lived in. It wasn't some stuffy oversized mansion like her parents house; it was a home. It was her first home. But it was different than the home she now owns. That was something Lorelai learned over time.

When it got to be a little too crammed, Lorelai realized it was time to leave. She had always been saving money and when it piled up to be enough, she took that money to find a house. After searching for 3 months, she found one thanks to the Meyer's that moved out of the house next door from Babette's. When she saw the place, it was lust at first sight. When her daughter walked through the door, she claimed her room within 2 minutes. Things became finalized. A moving date was set.

That first night, both Gilmore girls couldn't sleep. Rory wound up crawling into her mother's bed around 10 and they slept side by side like they did night after night in the potting shed. At that point, Lorelai wasn't sure she could do it. Part of her wanted to move back to the Inn. But as the months passed by, it became easier. They fell in love with their house and quickly it became a home. It became a permanent home. And that was the difference. The potting shed was just temporary, a temporary fix. It wasn't where they belonged. The house next to Babette's, the one with the wrap around porch and spare key hidden underneath the turtle, that was where Lorelai belonged. And for years she always thought it was where Rory belonged too, but after sending her daughter away to school, she realized that wasn't true. Lorelai realized for Rory, their house was what the potting shed was to her- a temporary home.

While leaving the Inn with her arms wrapped tightly around her belly and small tears glossing her eyes, Lorelai tipped her chin to the sky and prayed. She prayed for her daughter. She prayed for Rory to one day, find her permanent home. She asked God to help guide her baby girl to the place where she'll soon belong, because finally, Lorelai was okay with letting go. She knew from experience that a temporary home wasn't forever. Everyone deserves a permanent place to call their own. And she was sure no one deserved that more than her daughter.

**THE END**

**So, thoughts? I'd love to hear 'em before you go!**


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